After a moment of silence, the cupboard door was closed. He heard the footsteps recross the stage. Is he going for reinforcements? Scott wondered.
“Must have been the wind,” the man said. “It’s getting stronger; I think we’re in for a blow.”
The next thing Scott knew, the lights went out and the conference-room door slammed shut. He began to breathe again.
How lucky can you get? Twice he’d come within a hair of being caught, only to be saved. Was it by the same man? He was still as jumpy as a cat chasing leaves in the wind as he slipped out the side door of the inn. Taking the path through the woods, he headed for Lindsay’s cabin.
An east wind was moaning in the treetops. In this part of the world, it usually meant stormy weather for three days. The dark shapes of elms lined the path on both sides. Suddenly, a figure stepped out from behind a tree and blocked his way. Scott jumped.
“What the heck are you up to, son?” the figure said. “That’s the second time.”
The second time? Scott peered through the gloom. It was the man with the red hair who’d saved him in Vandam’s room. It must have been him in the conference room, too, Scott realized.
“I don’t know how to thank you for coming to my rescue,” Scott said. “Lucky for me you were there, or –”
“Never mind that. Who are you, anyway?”
“I’m Scott. Scott Graves.”
“I don’t mean your name. What were you doing back there, and how did you get mixed up with Vandam and his gang?”
Scott made a quick decision that this was a man he could trust – he’d saved him twice. “Well, you see, sir, it was like this: I have a job as a deckhand on the Rapids Prince, and Mr. Vandam was on board last Sunday and –”
“You mean you were on the Rapids Prince when my colleague Derek Patterson went overboard?”
“Derek Patterson was your colleague?”
“Derek Patterson is … I mean was … the one who’d been following Heinrik since he landed from the U-boat. We weren’t ready to nab Heinrik yet as we wanted to see who his contacts were first.”
“But who was Derek Patterson? And who are you?”
The man sighed. “I guess I need to explain. I’m from the FBI –”
“The FBI!”
“And Derek Patterson was with the Canadian security services,” the man went on. “We’re working together. Unfortunately for Derek, they caught on to him before we were ready to move in. I’ve managed to infiltrate Vandam’s gang, but they’ll eliminate me too if they find out who I am. This is wartime, and it’s a dangerous game we’re playing. A kid like you shouldn’t get involved. And I can’t save you every time, or they’ll begin to suspect me.”
“But I can’t stop now,” Scott protested. “Vandam is holding my friend Adam hostage, so I can’t tell anyone what I know or he’ll take it out on him. I was hoping to find out for sure if Adam’s at the farmhouse. Maybe you can help me.”
The red-haired man shook his head. “I’ve helped you all I can. My orders are to stay with the gang until we find out who’s behind their operation, both here and in the United States. Then we’ll nab the bunch of them.”
“But they’re planning something here first!” Scott exclaimed. “This Operation Blockade, you’ve got to stop it or –”
“Don’t worry, we’re keeping our options open,” the man said. “But Vandam could easily change his mind, if he gets nervous about this project, and cross the border for their next mission. In that case –” A branch creaked and the man looked around, startled.
“Look, son, I have to get back before Vandam gets suspicious. Maybe they’ll let your friend go if you wait them out. And keep your mouth shut about any of this in the meantime. Understand?” He faded back into the woods.
Scott stood there, hearing only the moaning of the wind. It seemed to surround him, taunting his inability to help Adam.
At the cabin, Scott found Lindsay waiting anxiously. He told her about the man who had, again, got him out of a tight corner. When he mentioned that the man was with the FBI, she became even more anxious. “The FBI! Maybe you should take his advice.”
“But his advice was to wait them out. I can’t do that or Adam’s parents or the police or someone will organize a search and … well, you know what will happen to Adam then.” He pictured Vandam drawing his hand across his throat. “On top of everything else, I found out at their meeting that they have a target somewhere around here. I won’t know where unless I can get hold of that map of Vandam’s.”
“But you can’t risk going back to the inn tonight,” Lindsay said.
The wind rattled the branches scraping the cabin roof. Scott went to the door and peered out. “Don’t worry. I’ll just scout out the farmhouse and see if I can figure out which room they have Adam locked up in. It’s going to be a wild night, and the storm will cover any noise I make.”
“Just be careful,” Lindsay said reluctantly.
FOURTEEN
When Adam heard the chauffeur outside his window nailing the shutters closed, each blow of the hammer reminded him that there was no escape.
He hoped Colette hadn’t forgotten him. He’d had nothing to eat since breakfast, and it was now early evening.
Finally he heard a key turn in the lock, and in came Colette. “My poor Adam, you must be starving,” she said. “I had to order the groceries, then Tyler had to pick them up at the inn.”
Adam noticed that Colette was the only one who referred to the chauffeur as Tyler. She thought Twitch was a cruel name.
“Where’s Heinrik then?” he said.
“He was here this afternoon, but Vandam called and told him to go over to the inn. They’re having some kind of meeting tonight.”
He took the tray eagerly. “Smells great. Stay with me while I eat.”
“I can’t stay. But I did learn something interesting on the trip here. I was listening to Mr. Vandam talking to Heinrik while I pretended to read, and I found out a lot about him. He’s not an ordinary businessman like he tells maman, he’s a Nazi agent.”
“A Nazi agent!” Adam said.
“Not only that, but he and Heinrik were studying the canal very carefully as we drove by.”
“I saw that,” Adam said, “but I couldn’t hear a thing they were saying.”
“All I heard was the word ‘sabotage’ and something about an explosion.”
“Sabotage! Explosion!”
“Yes, and I don’t like it. We should do something about it.”
“But what can I do when I’m locked up in here?” Adam said gloomily.
“Nothing while you’re their prisoner. But if you were to escape …”
Adam sighed. “If only I could. But there’s Twitch … and Heinrik.”
“Heinrik is at the inn,” Colette said. “And I can distract Tyler long enough for you get away.”
Adam’s heart leaped.
Just then, Twitch called up the stairs, “Colette! Where are you?”
“He’s waiting for his dinner,” Colette said, heading to the door. “I’ll tell you more later. Just be ready when I come back.”
“But, Colette, they’ll blame you!”
She put her finger to her lips, and then she was gone.
Impatient for her return, Adam let his mind race. So Vandam was a Nazi agent, and he and Heinrik were planning sabotage. He remembered now what Scott had said – that there were rumors of a German agent landing in Canada from a submarine. He hadn’t taken it seriously at the time, but he did now.
And Colette had an idea to help him escape. Is she going to distract Twitch by flirting? French girls were thought to be flirtatious. At least that was what some of the guys said when they heard he was going to be in Montreal this summer. But, no, he couldn’t believe Colette would do that. It just wasn’t her style. She must have something else in mind.
If Adam did manage to escape, he wondered where he should go from the farmhouse. He could follow the road back to the main highway and try hitching a ride to
Prescott and the ship. But as soon as Twitch discovered he was gone, he would, most likely, go after him in the car. So forget the road.
He’d have to stick to the woods. He’d use the woods for cover and head for the lake, then follow the lake to Prescott. Yes, that was the only way. But he was a city boy, and the thought of being alone in the woods at night gave him the jitters. There are wild animals out there, aren’t there? He had to admit he wasn’t the bravest of souls.
Still it had to be done. What mattered was to escape. He just hoped that Colette wouldn’t shoulder the blame. He gobbled his dinner, anxious for her return.
When she came back, Colette started talking as soon as she’d shut the door behind her. “I have only a minute, so listen carefully. When I leave with your tray, I won’t lock the door.”
“But where is Twitch?”
“In the kitchen. I asked him what his favorite dish was and he said tourtière. So I said I’d make it for him if he’d grate the carrots and chop the celery for salad. He’s doing that now, and it will keep him occupied long enough for you to sneak by and out the back door.
“From there, you’re on your own. I wish I could tell you which way to go, but I can’t. I can only wish you adieu and God speed, my sweet Adam. I will miss you.”
“And I will miss you, Colette,” Adam said. “You have been wonderful.”
She picked up his tray. “Now I must get back before Tyler wonders what I’m doing.”
“Wait. Won’t they blame you for my escape?”
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll say you must have picked the lock. Look after yourself, mon cher ami Anglais. Oh, and you’ll need this.” She handed him a package wrapped in newspaper. “It’s for the dog.”
Adam blanched. “The guard dog! I forgot about him.”
“Give him the steak bone, and he’s your friend for life. His name’s Pierre,” Colette said. Then she opened the door and slipped out. This time there was no click of the lock.
Adam waited long enough for her to get back to the kitchen, then he tiptoed down the stairs. At the bottom, he listened to the murmur of voices and a radio playing low. Taking a deep breath, he snuck past the doorway of the kitchen without looking in, his heart in his mouth. He was half-expecting a shout of alarm any second.
But no shout came. Carefully he opened the back door and stepped out.
He was greeted by a menacing growl.
“Here, Pierre,” he whispered, his voice quivering. He opened the package and dropped the bone on the ground, praying that the dog was hungry.
Pierre sniffed at it and then began gnawing at the bone noisily.
Adam backed away, turned, and stumbled into the woods.
FIFTEEN
Scott made his way cautiously along the road in the direction Lindsay said would take him to the farmhouse. It was a dark night, with heavy clouds obscuring the moon and stars. A gust of wind raised a miniature whirlwind of dust around him, and he held his breath until it passed.
Ahead, the lights of the farmhouse appeared, winking through the trees. The house was set back from the road, and the lights from the windows made it look, deceivingly, like a welcome refuge. Sensing a storm coming, he wondered which one of the windows faced the room Adam was held captive in.
Scott could see the shape of a car in the driveway. He kept going until he was close enough to make out the trunk and luggage rack, and the small rear window. He remembered the car well from his precarious ride through Old Montreal. It’s the Packard, all right!
Suddenly, a ferocious barking broke out behind the farmhouse.
A guard dog! He stayed rooted to the spot, hoping the dog was chained up. A door opened at the back and light spilled out. Someone came outside and spoke to the dog. Then a figure appeared, making a circuit of the house. Scott dove into the ditch beside the driveway and waited until he heard the back door shut again.
He retreated down the road. At least he’d confirmed that the Packard was there and very likely Adam as well. What to do about it was something else again.
Suddenly another volley of barking broke out behind the house. Looking over his shoulder, Scott saw a figure making for the Packard.
The car’s lights came on, piercing the darkness, and the tires squealed in protest as the car reversed out of the driveway. Scott threw himself on the ground as the Packard roared by. He caught a glimpse of Twitch hunched over the wheel, and then he was gone.
Scott got up and headed for the woods. Something sure had stirred them up at the farmhouse.…
When Twitch gunned the engine, the car threw itself violently over a bump, became airborne, then hit the road again with a whack. The chauffeur’s grip on the wheel tightened, but he didn’t slow down. His eyes strained ahead. His prisoner had escaped somehow, while they were having dinner, but he couldn’t have had much of a head start. Surely the headlights would pick him up before he reached the main road.
The car raced past the inn, and Twitch briefly considered stopping and consulting with Vandam. He dreaded the thought of confronting him with the news; he would bear the brunt of the blame, he knew. He could say that someone must have helped in the escape, but, in the end, he was the one in charge.
Seeing the big red stop sign ahead, he braked, and the car skidded to a halt at the intersection with the highway. An old Chevy pickup rattled by, its lights showing empty highway as far as he could see. The damn kid had probably hitched a ride and was already on his way to Prescott.
He groaned and made a U-turn on the highway.
Back at the inn, Twitch ignored the questioning stare of the night clerk behind the front desk. He headed straight for Vandam’s room. Now he’d have to go job-hunting again. He knew how hard that would be, with the way he twitched constantly, jumping at the slightest noise, with his mood swings and uncontrollable temper.
He paused outside Vandam’s door to take a deep breath, then he knocked.
Vandam opened the door. His sleeves were rolled up, and a map was spread out on the desk behind him. “Well?”
The chauffeur had trouble getting the words out, his chin twitching. “The kid’s gone,” he blurted. “I’ve searched the road.”
The blood drained from Vandam’s face. “You idiot! How did he get away?”
Twitch shifted uneasily. “I don’t know, Mr. Vandam. Someone may have helped him. I think we had a prowler earlier when the dog barked. Maybe it was him.”
“Well, don’t just stand there like a dummy,” Vandam fumed. “Keep looking! No, wait. Get the others first.” He grabbed a pencil. “Here’s their room numbers. Tell them it’s an emergency and to meet me here immediately. Then get back to the car and wait for orders.”
“Yes, sir,” Twitch said. At least he hadn’t been fired on the spot.
They arrived one by one, hurrying into the room with puzzled looks. Vandam shut the door and turned to face them.
“That idiot chauffeur’s let the prisoner escape. He knows too much about us, he and that friend of his from the Rapids Prince. Now there’s nothing to stop them going to the authorities with their story, if we don’t collar him before he gets clean away.”
There were groans of concern from the group gathered around Vandam.
“Twitch has already searched the road,” he said. “But there’s still the woods. He could be hiding there, waiting for morning.”
Vandam looked at his watch. “Put your warmest clothes on, and meet me out front in ten minutes. We’ll split up and comb the woods. There might be time to get him yet.”
SIXTEEN
Adam was making slow progress, stumbling over fallen trees and getting tangled up in shrubs that seemed to reach out with clumps of burrs to grab him. He’d lost all sense of direction. He hoped he was headed for the lake, but he could be going in circles for all he knew.
A flurry of snapping branches ahead made him stop short. Not another one of those night creatures! He’d already been startled out of his wits by a porcupine – a great prickly thing, standing o
n its hind legs and chewing on the bark of a tree. It had given him a scornful look and taken its time ambling away, the quills of its lethal tail dragging behind.
The noise ahead stopped, so he carried on, pushing branches out of his way and trampling shrubs, his face and arms scratched and bleeding. Suddenly he caught a glimpse of something moving, off to his right. Something big. Are there bears here? His skin prickled, and he hid behind the trunk of a large oak. Whatever it was, he could hear it breathing.
What to do? No use climbing the tree, a bear could easily outclimb him. Oh, God, now it’s coming this way. Closer and closer. Maybe if he played dead. He closed his eyes, waiting for the mortal blow.
When nothing happened, he opened them again. It was only a few feet from him, staring right at him.
“Adam?” it said.
He peered closer.
“Scott! What a relief! How did you get here?”
“I was going to ask you the same thing.”
At that moment, they heard a car speed up the road from the inn and screech to a stop amidst the slam of doors. “You two start from here and work your way towards the lake,” a voice shouted above the wind. “Walther and I will go on up to the farmhouse and start from there. We’ll meet up later.”
“It’s Vandam and the others!” Scott said. “We’d better get going.”
“Which way is the lake?”
Scott pointed south. “That way. Lindsay has a cabin there.”
They looked at each other, then plunged ahead as fast as they could.
It started to rain.
Lindsay opened the door to the persistent hammering. Vandam was standing there, rain running off his hat, his clothes torn and muddy.
“Sorry to trouble you, miss, but we’re searching for a boy who’s disappeared. We’re concerned he’s lost his way in the woods, and we’re checking the cabins in case he found shelter in one.”
“How old is he, Mr. Dale?” Lindsay asked, remembering to use the name he registered under.
Man Overboard! Page 6